John Billingham, whose service to the IAA the Cutting-Edge Lecture celebrates, was Senior Scientist (advisory) at the SETI Institute in California, with a long history of leadership and service to the former NASA SETI program. From 1991 to 1994 he served as Chief of the NASA SETI Office at the Ames Research Center. He was Chief of the NASA ARC Life Sciences Division (1984-1991), Chief of the NASA ARC Extraterrestrial Research Division (1976-1984), Chief of the NASA ARC Biotechnology Division (1970-1976), its Assistant/Acting Chief (1965-1970), Chief of the NASA JSC Environmental Physiology Branch (1963-1965), and served as a Medical Officer in the Royal Air Force (1956-1963). Dr. Billingham served as vice-chair of the SETI Institute Board of Trustees. He held BA and MA degrees in Physiology, and a medical doctorate, all from Oxford University.